Source: New Zealand Government
Tērā te āniwaniwa e tāwhana mai ana i te rangi i runga i Te Waionepū me ngā pā tawhito ko Tūtūtarakihi ko Wharekākāriki – A rainbow arches in the skies above Te Waionepū and the ancient pā of Tūtūarakihi and Wharekākāriki.
A vital future for the country’s northernmost airport has been secured thanks to an agreement between the Government, Iwi and the Far North District Council.
Today the pathway for Kaitaia Airport to return to NgāiTakoto and Ngāti Kahu hapū was cleared, with Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka joining Iwi and Council at a ceremony marking:
- The entering of a long-term lease for Kaitaia Airport between Iwi and the Far North District Council (to take effect once title transfers); and
- The Government contracting $5.4m with the council for maintenance and upgrade work.
With these arrangements now in place, NgāiTakoto confirmed they will purchase Kaitaia Airport in line with their Treaty settlement provisions. NgāiTakoto also confirmed the land will be held in a joint trust with Ngāti Kahu hapū – Patukoraha, Ngāi Tohianga and Te Paatu – who also hold strong interests in the land.
“Kaitaia Airport is a vital regional asset providing important services for the whole community including regional air ambulance flights and an alternative to State Highway 10. It is also used as a civil defence base,” Mr Potaka says.
“I know it’s been a challenging journey to reach this agreement ensuring future operation of the airport and I’d like to thank the Iwi and hapū for their ongoing commitment to reaching a resolution. I hope today is a relief for many people to know that issues relating to ownership and degradation of the airport facilities are being addressed.
“With a long-term lease for Kaitaia Airport able to be agreed with the Far North District Council, and the Government committing to investing in urgent maintenance and upgrades work, we have been able to safeguard the continued operation of Kaitaia Airport.
“The airport land was offered to NgāiTakoto as part of their Treaty settlement in 2012 on the condition that airport operations would continue. With the future of the airport secured, a pathway has now cleared for NgāiTakoto to purchase the land, which will occur in the immediate future,” Mr Potaka says.
Kua tau te manu rererangi o Kaitāia
Tērā te āniwaniwa e tāwhana mai ana i te rangi i runga i Te Waionepū me ngā pā tawhito ko Tūtūtarakihi ko Wharekākāriki.
Kua whakapūmauhia te tū o te tauranga waka rererangi ki Te Hiku o te Ika nā tētahi whakaaetanga i waenga i te Kāwanatanga, i ngā iwi me Te Kaunihera o Te Hiku o Te Ika.
I tēnei rangi, kua whakawāteahia te ara ki te whakAahokinga atu o te tauranga waka rererangi o Kaitāia ki ngā hapū o NgāiTakoto rāua ko Ngāti Kahu. I tae atu te Minita o Te Arawhiti, a Minita Tama Potaka ki tētahi hui ki te taha o ngā iwi me te Kaunihera e tohu ana:
- I te tīmatanga o tētahi rīhi tūroa ki waenga i ngā iwi me Te Kaunihera o Te Hiku o Te Ika e pā ana ki te tauranga waka rererangi o Kaitāia (kia mutu rā anō te whakawhitinga atu o te taitara), me
- Tētahi kirimana, e $5.4m te nui, ki waenga i te Kāwanatanga me te kaunihera hei utu i ngā mahi whakatikatika me ngā whakahoutanga.
Nō te whakatūturutanga o ēnei whakaritenga, kua whakaae a NgāiTakoto ki te hoko i te tauranga waka rererangi o Kaitāia e hāngai ana ki ngā kōrero o tā rātou whakataunga Tiriti. Kua whakaae hoki a NgāiTakoto kia noho te whenua ki roto i tētahi tarati ki raro i ngā hapū o Ngāti Kahu, arā, i a Patukoraha, i a Ngāi Tohianga me Te Paatu – nō rātou hoki tēnei whenua.
“He whare matua te tauranga waka rererangi o Kaitāia ki te rohe, he nui anō ā rātou mahi mā te hapori whānui, pērā i ngā waka rererangi tūroro ā-rohe, ā, hāunga anō te ara matua o State Highway 10, he putanga atu anō tēnei ki te motu whānui. He whare whakamarumaru hoki te tauranga nei i te wā o te raruraru ohotata.
“Kei te mōhio au he nui ngā piki me ngā heke i te ara ki tēnei whakaaetanga e whakaū ana i te tū o tēnei tauranga waka rererangi hei ngā rā e tū mai ana, ā, kei te hiahia au ki te mihi ki ngā iwi me ngā hapū i tō rātou manawanui ki te whakatutukinga pai o tēnei kaupapa. Ko te tūmanako, kua whakamauruhia ngā āwangawanga o te nuinga o ngā tāngata e pā ana ki te mana pupuri me te hekenga o te āhua o ngā whare.
“Nā te whakapūmautanga o te rīhinga tūroa o te tauranga waka rererangi o Kaitāia e Te Kaunihera o Te Hiku o Te Ika me te whakaae a te Kāwanatanga ki te tuku pūtea hei whakatikatika, hei whakahou wawe i ngā whare, ka haere tonu ngā mahi a te tauranga waka rererangi
“I tāpaea te whenua o te tauranga waka rererangi ki NgāiTakoto i raro i tō rātou whakataunga Tiriti i te tau 2012, i runga hoki i te tono kia haere tonu ngā mahi a ngā waka rererangi. Nō te whakatūturutanga o ngā whakaritenga e pā ana ki te tauranga waka rererangi, kua whakawāteahia te ara kia hokona te whenua e NgāiTakoto i te wā tata nei,” te kī a Mr Potaka
